Labels
by LaraWinner
Summary: Inuyasha wonders about the label "Boyfriend".


DISCLAIMER: Don't own 'em. 'Nuff said.

Labels

By: Lara Winner

* * *

"Are you Kagome's boyfriend?"

It was a simple question.

An easy question.

So why the hell was he floundering for an answer?

Inuyasha sighed from his perch in the goshinbu tree as he watched the bustling city of Tokyo go through its daily routine. Metal monsters swallowed people and then spit them out, others rode those iron carriages like the one Kagome had, and even more people swarmed the sidewalks in the mid-day traffic.

He observed the people below without really seeing them. His mind was far away lost in the translation of Souta's innocent snooping. The boy didn't understand the turmoil he had caused before he darted off to school that morning.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

The boy looked up to his mentor, his childish features filled with adoration. "Are you Kagome's boyfriend?"

"Huh?" Inuyasha blinked. "What's a boyfriend?"

"When you like a girl you become her boyfriend." Souta explained, beaming.

"I like Kagome I guess," he shrugged, "when she not yelling the "S" word left and right."

"Oh." Souta's brow creased in a worried frown. Then little boy leaned closer, as if whispering conspiratorially. "Do you like her or do you 'like her' like her?"

Inuyasha fidgeted uncomfortably. "Feh. What's it to you?"

"Because Kagome has another boyfriend at her school. But I like you better Inuyasha."

Before Inuyasha could find out more about this "boyfriend" thing Souta scampered off calling out a farewell and disappeared down the shrine steps.

That happened this morning. Judging from the sun's position in the sky he would say three hours ago to be exact. Ever since the boy ran off he'd been unable to think about anything else.

Am I Kagome's boyfriend?

He was a boy.

He was her friend.

So yes, Inuyasha felt he was Kagome's boyfriend. But something in the way Souta had stressed "like her, like her" made the hanyou think there was perhaps more to the title than he understood.

Did boyfriend really mean suitor?

Inuyasha found himself blushing despite that fact that no one else had privy to his thoughts. If that was the case then he wasn't sure he could call himself that. In those terms, no he wasn't her boyfriend. He wasn't even close.

But Souta mentioned that Kagome had another boyfriend at her school. Was that the reason Kagome returned for her tests? To meet with this mysterious boyfriend?

Inuyasha growled softly.

Just because he wasn't Kagome's suitor didn't mean that he liked the idea of anyone else having that privilege.

Kagome was a special girl. Anyone could see that when they looked at her. She was a rare gem with a heart as valuable as gold. And in Inuyasha's opinion not just anyone deserved her.

Not some weak human and certainly not that smelly wolf.

He couldn't stop Kagome from having boyfriends. She was going to come across them and there was nothing he could do about it. Undeserving males were going to admire her beauty and want her for their own. In turn they were going to pursue her.

What that didn't mean was that he had to sit back and allow it to go any further.

Why the hell does it matter?

She's going to do what she wants anyway. Nothing he'd ever said stopped her before.

A prime example of Kagome stubbornness was that flea-infested wolf. She would always laugh and smile so sweetly when he showed up and then have the nerve to wonder why the asshole wouldn't leave her alone. Didn't she see that every time she said the "S" in front of the bastard that she only encouraged Kouga's claim?

Stupid girl!

Inuyasha glowered at the dappling leaves that surrounded him and his hidden branch.

Did that make Kouga Kagome's boyfriend too?

Once again a growl rose in the hanyou's throat full of disgruntled protest. It wasn't fair that Kouga got to be a "boyfriend" when he couldn't. It wasn't fair that some bumbling human got to court Kagome when he couldn't.

Did that mean he wanted to?

Inuyasha wasn't stupid enough to lie to himself. Of course he wanted to court Kagome. He'd be an idiot not to.

Friend was such a lacking word when summing up his loyalty to Kagome. Boyfriend had a better ring to it. But in truth he didn't hold any claims on her. He couldn't. There was still too much left to do, too much that was unresolved with no easy solution in sight.

To make a promise that he couldn't keep and break yet another promise to Kagome…

It was a no win situation. He couldn't see a way to make them both happy. So he settled for making Kagome happy instead.

He tolerated Kouga, even saved the moron's life more than once because Kagome asked him to. He kept his claws off that human whelp Hobo or Hodo, what ever his name was, but only because Kagome would be upset if he didn't.

And then he ruined everything as soon as Kikyo was mentioned.

Inuyasha folded his arms defensively and slouched against the rough tree bark digging into his back. He didn't mean to. Honestly. It wasn't like he tried to think of new ways to rub it in Kagome's face that Kikyo held claims to him that he couldn't deny. And didn't he try to spare Kagome's feelings?

After all, he didn't see that wimpy wolf or that Hobo guy risking their neck to keep her safe.

But he did everyday. And he did it without complaint because it was the only way he knew to show Kagome that she was important. To him she was precious.

Did she know that?

Keh. Probably not.

Kagome was Kagome. She didn't think of herself as anything special. She just did what she could to help and she'd do it for anybody, human, demon, even hanyou. For Inuyasha at least, that said a lot more about her worth than anything else.

If he could put a label on Kagome he'd have to say that she was…

Perfect.

Maybe not entirely because she did like to use the "S" word a little too much but he still wouldn't change a thing about her. Her smile, her scent, the sound of her voice, the way she could make a simple touch the most comforting thing in the world… Yup, Kagome was as close to perfect as anyone could get.

Someone like Kagome deserved the perfect boyfriend.

It was just Inuyasha's luck that he wasn't boyfriend material.

* * *

A.N. – I'm not sure what inspired this little piece. It was just an idea sitting in the back of my mind. I finally decided to put it on paper since I'm having at a bit of a stalemate with my muse at the moment.

There will probably be a few more chapters to this. I have an idea to kind of tie in the Boyfriend/Girlfriend aspect of Inu and Kag's relationship. Keep in mind that the romance in the anime/manga never really develops beyond awkward confessions and small, meaningful gestures. So I think with this fic I'm trying to fit internal thoughts to their shy behavior.

I'm not going to promise regular updates. I'll add new chapters as I get around to it. This won't be long a drawn out plot either. At least I don't think so…

So until next time, thanks for reading!


End file.
